PK-S03 · Wasps, hornets, and bees
How to get rid of Bald-faced hornets
Dolichovespula maculata
Bald-faced hornets are aerial yellowjackets with white faces and a gray enclosed nest that can reach basketball size. They defend a wide airspace. Ladders plus angry vespids are how people fall. Hire a pro for elevated nests. They are not European hornets and they are not honey bees. Do not harvest the nest; there is no honey.
How to identify Bald-faced hornet
- Black and white, white face, enclosed gray paper nest.
- Larger than typical yellowjackets.
Signs of an infestation
- Gray football in a tree or soffit.
- Defensive wasps in a wide radius.
Biology and why they show up
Annual aerial colonies. They hunt insects and visit sweets. One-season nest in temperate zones.
Health and property risk
Multiple stings, ladder falls, anaphylaxis.
Proven control sequence
Work in this order. Skipping inspection or exclusion is why most “treatments” bounce back in a week.
- Cordon the area. Kids and mowers away from the defensive bubble.
- Elevated nests: professional. Do not amateur this from a roof.
- Ground-reachable entrance at night only. Labeled jet, then leave. Remove nest later if it is on a building path.
Matching tools for these steps can be bought on Amazon. Buy the field kit.
Tools around bald-faced hornets
Aerial nests get large. Treat this as a licensed or highly cautious job, not a broom.
As an Amazon Associate, Pest Kill earns from qualifying purchases. The EPA label is the law for any pesticide. These links match the sequence on this page — they are not a shopping list instead of identification. Details: advertising disclosure. Browse the full tools catalog.
Labeled product
Wasp and hornet foam spray
A labeled jet for a small, visible eave nest at dusk — not a broom, not a daylight attack, not a wall void. If you are allergic, this is a 911 plan, not an aisle can.
Prevention that actually sticks
- Inspect shrubs in early summer when nests are tennis-ball sized.
When to hire a licensed professional
Almost always above head height.
United States and Tier 1 notes
North America. UK “hornet” usually means a different insect.
Common questions
Will they reuse the nest?
The colony dies in winter. Queens overwinter elsewhere. Still remove a nest that sits over a door.